APPENDIX6 BiodiversityAssessmentReport INVINCIBLE SOUTHERN EXTENSION PROJECT Biodiversity Assessment Report FINAL September 2016 INVINCIBLE SOUTHERN EXTENSION PROJECT Biodiversity Assessment Report FINAL Prepared by Umwelt (Australia) Pty Limited on behalf of Castlereagh Coal Project Director: Tim Crosdale Project Manager: David Holmes Technical Director: Allison Riley Technical Manager: Shaun Corry Report No. 3622/R04/FINAL Date: September 2016 Newcastle 75 York Street Teralba NSW 2284 Ph. 02 4950 5322 www.umwelt.com.au This report was prepared using Umwelt’s ISO 9001 certified Quality Management System. Executive Summary Castlereagh Coal operates the Invincible Colliery (Invincible), an open cut coal mine located approximately 25 kilometres north-west of Lithgow in NSW. Castlereagh Coal is the trading name for Shoalhaven Coal Pty Ltd which is part of the Manildra Group, an integrated and diverse agribusiness. Castlereagh Coal is seeking to modify the Invincible Project Approval to extend the life of mining operations at the Invincible Colliery and obtain approval to extend the open cut mining operations to an area immediately south of the existing operations (Southern Extension Area). The primary purpose of the operation will be to provide nut coal to Manildra’s Shoalhaven Starches Plant located at Bomaderry on the NSW South Coast. Project features (including location and setback from potential habitat features) and impact mitigation measures have been incorporated into the detailed design of the Southern Extension Project to minimise biodiversity impacts. Umwelt (Australia) Pty Limited (Umwelt) has prepared this Biodiversity Assessment Report on behalf of Castlereagh Coal to assess the potential ecological impacts of the proposed Southern Extension Project using the Framework for Biodiversity Assessment – NSW Biodiversity Offsets Policy for Major Projects (FBA). The BioBanking Credit Calculator (Major Project Assessment Type) was applied following extensive literature reviews, the identification of relevant landscape features and detailed flora and fauna field surveys undertaken in August and November 2015 and January and April 2016 of the Southern Extension Area, in accordance with the BioBanking Assessment Methodology (OEH 2014a). Following the application of appropriate avoidance and mitigation measures, the BioBanking Assessment identified the following biodiversity features and subsequent credits required for offsetting as a result of the Southern Extension Project: • 542 ecosystem credits for Brittle Gum - Broad-leaved Peppermint - Red Stringybark open forest in the north-western part (Yass to Orange) of the South Eastern Highlands Bioregion (CW117) • 2893 ecosystem credits for Inland Scribbly Gum grassy open forest on hills in the Mudgee Region, NSW central western slopes (CW263) • 388 species credits for the broad-headed snake (Hoplocephalus bungaroides) • 312 species credits for the Capertee stringybark (Eucalyptus cannoni) • 1047 species credits for squirrel glider (Petaurus norfolcensis). An offset strategy is being developed for the Southern Extension Project in accordance with the FBA. Based on assessment completed to date the credits required for the Southern Extension Project are available for the ecosystem credits and species credits for vegetation in the surrounding area. Castlereagh Coal commit to the securing of required credits and appropriate offsets measures prior to the commencement of the Southern Extension Project. Glossary BAR Biodiversity Assessment Report BBAM BioBanking Assessment Methodology BBCC BioBanking Credit Calculator BVT Biometric Vegetation Type CEEC Critically Endangered Ecological Community CMA Subregion Catchment Management Authority Subregion DA Development Application DECC NSW Department of Environment and Climate Change (now OEH) DoE Commonwealth Department of the Environment DSEWPC Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities (now DoE) EEC Endangered Ecological Community EP Endangered Population EP&A Act Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (NSW) EPBC Act Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Commonwealth) ESCP Erosion and Sediment Control Plan FBA Framework for Biodiversity Assessment FM Act Fisheries Management Act GIS Geographical Information System IBRA Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia (Version 7) LGA Local Government Area LPI Land and Property Information MGA Map Grid of Australia MNES Matters of national environmental significance Project The subject of this Biodiversity Assessment Report, the proposed Southern Extraction Project. Mtpa Million tonnes per annum NSW New South Wales OEH Office of Environment and Heritage (NSW) PCT Plant Community Type PMST Protected Matters Search Tool Invincible Southern Extension Project 3622_R04_BAR_FINAL Southern Extension Area The area in which the Modification Project is proposed. The Southern Extension Area will be completely cleared as a result of the Modification Project and all infrastructure related to the project will be contained within the Southern Extension Area. SAT Spot Assessment Technique SIX Spatial Information eXchange TEC Threatened Ecological Community TSC Act Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 (NSW) VIS Vegetation Information System Invincible Southern Extension Project 3622_R04_BAR_FINAL Table of Contents Executive Summary Glossary i 1.0 Introduction 1 1.1 Proposed modification 4 1.2 Southern Extension Area information 6 1.2.1 Location 6 1.2.2 Size 9 1.2.3 Topography and natural features 9 1.3 Project design changes to avoid ecological impacts 9 1.4 Key resources, policies and documents 11 1.5 Report preparation 11 2.0 Methods 12 2.1 Landscape features 12 2.1.1 Identifying landscape features 12 2.1.2 Determining landscape value 12 2.2 Native vegetation assessment 14 2.2.1 Literature and database review 14 2.2.2 Digital aerial photograph interpretation 14 2.2.3 Systematic plot/transect surveys 14 2.2.4 Meandering transects 17 2.2.5 Plant identification and nomenclature standards 18 2.2.6 Vegetation mapping 18 2.2.7 Threatened ecological community delineation techniques 19 2.3 Threatened species 19 2.3.1 Literature and database review 19 2.3.2 Species-credit flora surveys 20 2.3.3 Species-credit fauna surveys 21 2.4 Survey effort summary 26 3.0 Results 28 3.1 Landscape value 28 3.1.1 Landscape features 28 3.1.2 Landscape value scores 28 3.2 Native vegetation within the Southern Extension Area 31 3.2.1 Biometric vegetation types and vegetation zones 31 3.2.2 Current site value 40 3.2.3 Threatened ecological communities 41 Invincible Southern Extension Project 3622_R04_BAR_FINAL 3.3 Threatened species within the Southern Extension Area 41 3.3.1 Ecosystem-credit species 41 3.3.2 Species-credit species 50 4.0 Avoidance and mitigation measures 63 4.1 Site selection and planning phase avoidance 63 4.2 Construction phase 63 4.2.1 Management of arboreal species and habitat 64 4.2.2 Weed control 65 4.2.3 Sediment and erosion control 66 4.2.4 Rehabilitation 66 4.2.5 General mitigation measures 66 4.3 Direct impacts 67 5.0 Impact assessment 68 5.1 Impacts not requiring further assessment 68 5.2 Impacts not requiring offset 68 5.3 BVTs and threatened species requiring offset 68 5.3.1 Ecosystem credits 68 5.3.2 Species credits 71 5.4 Impacts that require further consideration 71 5.5 Impacts on aquatic species 71 5.6 Seven part tests of significance 72 5.7 Impacts on matters of national environmental significance 74 6.0 Offsetting requirements 77 6.1 Biodiversity credit report 77 6.2 Offsetting options for ecosystem credits 77 6.2.1 Offset location 77 6.2.2 Biometric vegetation types 78 6.3 Offsetting options for species credits 79 7.0 References 80 Invincible Southern Extension Project 3622_R04_BAR_FINAL Figures Figure 1.1 Locality Plan 2 Figure 1.2 Invincible Southern Extension Project 3 Figure 1.3 Location Map IBRA V7 Regions 7 Figure 1.4 Location Map Landscape Features 8 Figure 2.1 Flora Survey Locations 15 Figure 2.2 Fauna Survey Locations 23 Figure 3.1 Connectivity Value 30 Figure 3.2 Vegetation Zones in the Project Area 32 Figure 3.3 Ecosystem-credit Species Recorded in the Project Area 47 Figure 3.4 Species-credit Polygon in the Project Area 48 Tables Table 1.1 Southern Extension Area Location in the Landscape 6 Table 2.1 Minimum number of plots/transects required per zone area (OEH 2014b) 16 Table 2.2 Adequacy of vegetation survey in the Southern Extension Area 16 Table 2.3 Species-credit flora species requiring targeted survey 20 Table 2.4 Species-credit fauna species requiring targeted survey 21 Table 2.5 Survey effort summary table 26 Table 3.1 Landscape features in the Southern Extension Area 28 Table 3.2 Native vegetation cover in assessment circles 29 Table 3.3 Connectivity value scores 29 Table 3.4 Patch size score parameters 31 Table 3.5 Zone 1: CW117 - Brittle Gum - Broad-leaved Peppermint - Red Stringybark open forest in the north-western part (Yass to Orange) of the South Eastern Highlands Bioregion – Moderate to Good Condition 33 Table 3.6 Zone 2: CW263 – Inland Scribbly Gum grassy open forest on hills in the Mudgee Region, NSW central western slopes – Moderate to Good Condition 34 Table 3.7 Zone 3: CW263 – Inland Scribbly Gum grassy open forest on hills in the Mudgee Region, NSW central western slopes – Moderate to Good_High Condition 36 Table 3.8 Zone 4: CW263 – Inland Scribbly Gum grassy open forest on hills in the Mudgee Region, NSW central western slopes – Moderate to Good_Moderate Condition 37 Table 3.9 Zone